Rail joint



Patented Aug. 2, 1927!.

1* UNITED j TATE PAT ENT OF IC I FRANK c. KBONAUER, or GLEN 3001:, NEW JERSEY.

'RAILJOINT. f

. Application filed March; 28.

Thisinvention relates to improvements in railjoints of the type commonly used by railroads and in which the component parts of the joint are secured to I the rails by j 5 bolts a The objects of the improvements are to provide av device'that will r I Provide means for applying and main taining the maximum holding pressureat the bolts nearest the ends of the rails joined by the rail joint. Q I V I i The majority of rail joints in'lcommon use areof the bolted type, and comprise essentially angle bars, fish plates or splice plates and other component parts that are securedbybolts to therails joined. In such -a joint any expansion or elongation of the joint belts. or any appreciablcwear or deterioration'of the bearing surfaces of the rails or'joint parts will, unless compensated for by some means that continuouslyand effectively forces and holds the component parts of the joint in secure and uniform con'-' tact with the rails. eventually result in looseness of the bolted parts, which'will in turn'cause low joints, battered rail ends and mutilated joint parts. It has also been 40 found that it the joint bolts are tightened too much and sufiicientelasticity is not provided by means of a suitable accessory, the joint'beeomes so rigid that the normal expansion and contraction of the" rails due to changes in temperature is resisted tosuch a degree that high stresses in the rail are set up which-may result in the rail being pushed or pulled out of the proper align-.1 ment. V Where sufficient elasticity is provided in the rail joint, or where the bolts are not maintained excessively tight. small temperaturefchanges'in the rail" lengths are-taken up by slight longitudinal movements of the adjoining rail ends with respectto the com -p0nent parts of the rail joint.- It has been 1927." Serial N0.'1 79,132.

found desirable to have the two jointbolts nearest the ends of the rails joined, fully tightened to provide maximum support for o the rail ends, while those bolts that are further from the rail ends are best maintained at. a somewhat lesser tension; pro 'vldedva suitable means for maintalning a j continuous effective holding force between the rail ends and joint parts is introduced. The functions of the device which is the subject of this invention, are to provide means for attaining the enumerated conditions of elasticity and holding power be tween the component parts of a bolted rail joint andthe rails joined thereby. and it comprises essentially a springlever which is described as follows.

In the attached drawing similar letters reter'to similar parts throughout the several lviews. Figure 1 is a plan view of a. conven: tional type of abolted angle bar rail'joint connecting two rails, and shows the spring f lever in place.

Figure 2 is a view of 1 asseen along the line '2-2 of Fig. 1. Figure 3 is a detached plan view of the spring'l'ever. Figure 4is a view as seen along the line 4- -4 of Fig. 3, and Fig.5 is anend View of the device as seen along the line 5-5' of Fig. 3. Figure 6 is a section view of Fig. 3 taken along the line 6-6.

In"Fig. 1 the angle bars C and C are secured to the rails Rand R? by the bolts a, b, a and I). The spring lever at S is in place with respect to the component parts of the joint, with the nuts A and B of the bolts a and 7) respectively. sufficiently loose to show the sprinq lever in its normal un strained form and position. 1 The spring lever at S Fig. 1, is also in place withrespect to the component parts form and position for service. In this view it will be observed that the joint bolts a and b are shown with their nuts A and B respectively, on the same side of the joint,

while the joint bolts a and b are shown with their nutsA and B respectively, on opposite sides of the joint. In other words the l bolts a and b are shown as inserted from the same side-of the joint, while the bolts a might be found for all bolts of a joint; that is all bolts would be inserted from one side and are'shown as inserted from opposite sides. In commonpractice either condition j as are a and Z), orall bolts would be inserted tromopposite; sides alternately, as arebolts a and b. The application of both of these common methods of bolting tothe joint in Fig. 1 is shownonly torthepnrpose. 'of illustrating the methods of applying the spring lever in connection with each of the common methods of bolting described.

In applying the spring lever the joint bolts a andb, and similarly a and, Z), pass respectively through the bolt holes hand H of the spring lever S shown in Fig, 3.

The spring lever is preferably made of spring steel, andis shaped as shown in Fig. 4 to; form about a junction as a fulcrum, an angle; (p between the axis of the short lever section Z, produced, and the aXiS of the long lever section L, when the spring lever is in a normal unstrained form and posi -ion.

The spr ng lever 1s arched at f, as shown.

in Fig. 6', for the purpose ot increasing the section modulus with respect. to the trans verse axis of the section, and this provides a rigid fulcrum about which thelev-er, sections Z and L can be distorted withinfthe limits of the elasticity of the material of which the spring lever'is made, and: assume the form. shown at. S, Fig. 1.

Thebolt holes h and H, Fig. 3, are spaced toreceive,respectively, thebolts a. and b, and. similarly the bolts a. and b, Fig. 1. Slots.

7c and K are provided and members. m, M, and m, M are'formed as shown inydetail in- Figures 3, AL and 5. As shown in detail in Fig. 5, the members'mv and m are shaped. to form an auxiliary spring lock comprising a/normal spiral spring with. superimposed curves. This combination providesan auxiliary spring lock capable of great reactive pressure; when compressed. The members M and M are similarly formecL but no separate view. is. included in the-drawing to show this.- i 0 These auxiliaryspring locksare provided for the purpose of increasing theftotalreactive pressure of the spring lever S against the nuts B, A.- and B, and. alsoto assist in preventing these nuts from loosening inservice; when the joint is: subjected to the impact and, vibrations. caused by rolling wheel loads.

lvhenjapplying the, spring lever, illusw tratedfin,Figuresl; to dinclusive, to a rail joint; as shownin F iguresrl and 2, the bolt P sing; hrougliih sho t leven section Z. s; fi tf i s'er di ld tanii szappliedandfparia y ghtened; as-s iownim th YbQIt-I aand;

its mitt A iajFigJL The bolt passing;

through theholehl of-thelong leyer, sectiom t i .iappliedand.

11111 t in turns .upas 110ml.fo ;thebolt;b

iiex

throi '1. the' liole ifi short leiiergsection. l1 a i' lli hws fin ias nt d is -wil ully ut Bl Fig: 1; Thegbelt lpassing tightened by turning up its nut until the curved portions Q: and Q of the members m and m, Fig. 5, are nearly flattened, as shown for the bolt a-and its nut A in Fig. 1., The. bolt passing. through the hole H of the long lever section L, and which was the second bolt inserted, is then tightened. reducing the angle 1; (Fig. 4) until the axes of lend L arenearly in alinement, and flattening the members M and M, as shown for the bolt Z) and its nut B and spring lever SinFig. 1'. 7 Considering the I high elasticity of the spring steel of which the spring lever is preferably constructed, it is apparent that S will exert a powerful reactive pressure against the nuts A and B. It is also apparent that since bolt (4 was first tightened as far as possible before tightening bolt Z), the subsequent tightening of bolt -6 increased the strain 011110112 (1 by an amount equal to the pressure required to flatten angle bl-111d exerted by bolt, Z)", multiplied,

by theratio of the lever lengths 1/ and r tance through which nut A must-travel to compress members m and m, will assure, the application of a continuous react1veforce to hold, thev angle bars 111' secure. and uniform contact with the rails joined, and will compensate for any elongation of the joint bolts, and for wear and deterioration of the contactingbearing surfaces ofthe angle bars and the rails joined.

The application of this device to a four hole angle bar rail joint as shown in Fig.

l and Fig. 2 is so shown for purpose of illustration only, 'andit is. not desired to limit the-applicationof this device-to bolted rail joints of any particular type of joint or any particular number of joint bolts.

While the device illustrated in the: attached drawing and described in the foregoing specification. embodies the preferred application of. my. invention, it, is possible;

to alter the construction and features shown-- and described without depart-ingfifrom the spirit otmy invention, and I doinot desire; t limit; the-scope offmy pr s nt; application for Lettersv Patent. to the detailsand. type of construction; shown and described? herein; but I claim: i

1'. In a rail joint the--combination of an spring lever element and j'bint bolts, in

which the said spring lever element consists of two lever sections of unequal lengths that form at their junction with each other a fulcrum about which they act as a lever substantially as described. 4 V

2. In a rail joint the combinationof a ,spring'lever element and joint bolts, in which thesaid spring lever consists of two sections of unequal lengths that in their normal unstrained position form an angle with g each other, substantially as described.

clever sections of unequalqlengths, each of which lever sections is'provided with a hole to receive one of the said joint bolts, and in which the area surrounding each hole is slotted and curved to form an auxiliary 3. In arail joint, the combination of a spring lever element and joint bolts, in which the said spring lever consistsof two yielding lever sections of unequal lengths, substantially as described. j

4. In a rail joint the combination of a' spring lever element and joint bolts, in which the said spring lever consists of two lever sections of unequal lengths, each of which is provided with a'hole to receive one of the joint bolts, substantially as described;

1 5. In a rail joint the combination of a spring lever element and joint bolts in which the said spring lever consists of two spring lock, substantially as described.

6. In arail joint the combination of a "spring lever element and joint bolts, in

which the said springlever consists of two o lever sections ofunequal lengths, forming at their junction a fulcrum, and in which the said lever sections are arched at the said fulcrum to increase the section modulus of thetransverse section of the said. fulcrum, substantially as, described. I

7. In a rail joint the combination of a spring lever element and joint bolts, 1n which the said spring lever is provided with yielding elastic lever sections of unequal lengths, and in which the said lever eleinents aredisposed, with respect to the said joint bolts, so that the bolt passing through the longer of the said lever sections will, by lever action, exert a reactive pressure against the bolt that passes through the shorter lever section, and in which the said reactive'pres sure transmitted by the longer lever section increases the holding pressure exerted by the bolt that passes through the shorter lever section, substantially as described.

8. In a rail joint the combination of a spring lever element, angle bars and joint bolts, in which the said spring lever element is provided with two lever sections of unequal lengths that at their point of junction with one another form a fulcrum about whichthey act as a lever, and in which the said spring lever element, joint bolts and angle bars are so arranged, with respect to one another, that the said fulcrum of the spring lever element bears against one of the'said angle bars, and concentrates against the said angle bar at the said fulcrum a resultant of forces exerted by the said joint bolts against the said spring lever element, substantially as described.

9. As an article of manufacture, and for use with bolted rail joints, a spring lever element having two yielding elastic lever sections of unequal lengths, a rigid fulcrum formed integral with the said element, a

bolt hole in each of the said lever sections,

and in which the said bolt holes are spaced at unequal distances from the said rigid fulcrum, and in which the said lever sections, when in a normal unstrained position, form an angle with each other substantially as described.

' 10., As an article of manufacture and for use wlth rail oints, a spring lever element having two yielding elastic lever sections of unequal lengths, a rigid fulcrum formed in tegral with the said element, a bolt hole in each of the said lever sections, a slot at each unequal lengths, a rigid fulcrum formed integral therewith, a bolt hole in each of the said lever sections, auxiliary spring locks circumscribing the said bolt holes, and in WlllGll the said lever sections, when in a normal unstrained position, form an angle with one another about the said fulcrum,

substantially as described.

FRANK G. KRONAUER. 

